Goodbye To Helga
by SkaterKid13
Summary: One of the most mind boggling and challenging questions to answer of our generation: What would you do if you only had 1 day to live? Find out what our little Helga did in this story. I've re-edited this one. Don't forget to review!
1. The Checkup

**If it's so simple, why doesn't it have a simple answer?**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Hey Arnold. Oh, the pain.**

**Goodbye to Helga Chapter 1: The Checkup**

There was never a busier day in the city of Hillwood.

Everyone in PS. 118 was having their weekly checkups and vaccine shots. There seemed to be a bug going around this time of year and you can never be too careful. Students were standing outside the nurse's office for what seemed like all morning. Finally, the blonde girl with pigtails a.k.a. Helga G. Pataki was the last one after her best friend, Phoebe.

"All right, Miss Pataki. I'll need you to let me check your heartbeat." Nurse Shelley said, preparing her stethoscope.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah." The ten-year-old scowled, pulling down the front of her shirt collar, revealing her bare chest. Helga's attitude had changed rather drastically after the events of FTi. Her temper seemed more controlled now and calm. She and Arnold were nice to each other most days after that "heat of the moment" thing.

Helga winced as the incoming coldness of the metal stethoscope gave her a shiver down her body. She sat back and took it. She noticed Phoebe smiling at her from behind the curtain. Helga shot her a blank expression instead.

"Hmm, everything seems to be in order." Nurse Shelly said. "You're just about done, Helga."

Helga nodded her head, taking the removed stethoscope into her hands and observing it curiously. "So, doc, can I get outta here or what?" She asked.

"Not yet, Helga," She replied, taking the stethoscope from Helga."I still need to see how your breathing pattern is."

Helga sighed, feeling as though she'll never get away. She lifted up the fron of her dress, revealing her stomach and underwear. She blushed. It was the nurse's job, but she felt so awkward in the process.

"Now breathe in." She instructed Helga to do.

The ten-year-old obeyed and did what she asked.

"And breathe out." She said.

Helga let out a tired exhale and relaxed.

The nurse examined Helga's stomach very closely and gasped. "Oh, my," She could barely finish her sentence, seeing the giant black mark on the child's stomach. No, it couldn't be.

Nurse Shelly rushed towards her computer and turned back to look at the mark on Helga's tummy. "Oh, dear, oh, dear." She kept repeating over and over. Phoebe stood worriedly from behind the curtain and walked to stand over near Helga.

The nurse typed for what seemed like the longest time until Helga broke her train of thought.

"Yo, Doc, can I leave or what?" She asked with a huff.

The nurse then walked back over to Helga slowly and knelt down to her level. "Helga," She started. "How long have you had that black dot on your stomach?"

Helga raised her brow and leaned her head down to look at her belly. Sure enough, there was a huge black mark near her bellybutton. "Oh, that. I don't know, about five or six years?" She figured. The truth was she didn't know how long it was there, but it's not like it could cause any damage to her body, right?

"Helga... I'm afraid you're going to have to go to the hospital." The nurse said.

Without haste, an ambulance quickly showed its way through the back end of PS. 118. Students all gathered around to see what the commotion was all about. Helga was laying on a gurdle, a blanck expression on her face as she didn't know what the heck was going on. The paramedics, pushing her gurdle, heaved through the surrounding crowd of children. She was soon hoisted up into the loading part of the truck, ready to be driven off to the hospital. Phoebe quickly followed after her, telling the driver that she wanted to come and see about her best friend.

Arnold saw all the commotion and got there just in time to see the van pulling off and the person who was in it. "Helga!" He called out to her, but he only got a smile and a wave from her because she thought this would all be over soon. And besides, she liked having this much attention from the other kids and especially Arnold. The truck drove off with the siren wailing and the sound fading as it got farther and farther away from the school.

"_Go to the hospital, Helga_. _There may be something wrong, Helga_." She sat there on her bed, complaining and mocking Nurse Shelly. "Hmph, there's nothing wrong with me. I'm strong as an oak. I'm Helga G. Pataki for cripes' sake." She huffed, crossing her arms over her chest.

Before long, the doctor came in along with Phobe looking teary-eyed. The doctor looked really stern for some reason and it bothered Helga. "Well, what's the diagnosis, Doc?" She asked him.

The doctor looked down to study the floor. "Helga, I don't know how to put this, but... you have cancer and given how long that mark has been there... you have 24 hours to live." Dr. Devance said slowly.

Helga's eyes widened at this. She was utterly speechless. Is she really dying? "24 hours?" Helga was able to say.

"Oh, no, Helga!" Phoebe's eyes were tearing up and wrapped her arms around her best friend's torso. How could her best friend die like that? This wasn't fair.

"Oh, Phoebe, I'm going to die, I'm going to die." She buried her face in Phoebe's hair.

"Helga, please listen. At first you'll feel no pain at all until sometime tomorrow evening when your heart suddenly stops." Dr. Devance explained, drying some of his tears. "But in the meantime, you're going to be expected to go through five stages. The first one is Denial."

"No way, because I'm not dying." Helga denied as she shot up from her best friend's grasp.

"The second is Anger." Dr. Devance listed.

"What? Grr-Ahh!" She growled, pulling on her pigtails.

"And after that comes fear."

Helga's expression changed to a worried one. "What's after fear? What's after fear?" She asked over and over.

"Bargaining." He simply replied.

Helga walked up to Dr. Devance, pulling him by the collar. "Doc, you gotta get me out of this. I'll make it worth your while." Helga tempted him.

"And finally... acceptance."

"Well, we all gotta go sometime, right?" Helga shrugged.

The doctor fixed his glasses. "Miss Pataki, your progress astounds me, but I'd advise you to do something to ease the pain."

"Anything, Doc." Helga said.

"Make these last few hours your best." The doctor whispered, placing a hand on her shoulder. "I'll leave you two alone. And Helga, to make the news less hurtful to your friends, don't tell any of them." He advised her as he walked out of Helga's room.

Helga rubbed her forehead. "Oh, Crimeny, this is going to be just like the time I thought I had Monkeynucleosis." Helga noticed Phoebe sitting in the corner, sobbing her little eyes out over her best friend. She walked over to her and helped her up.

"Helga, you can't die." Phoebe sobbed.

"I know, Pheebs. You're here, my friends and family are here. That place with the cherry gummy bears I love so much are here." She pouted before pausing. "Phoebe, as my best friend in the whole world, I need you to do something for me."

Phoebe looked her in the eyes. "Yes, Helga, anything."

"You heard what the nurse said, don't tell anyone about what you just heard." She informed her before thinking for a minute. "Well, I suppose you could tell Geraldo." She rolled her eyes.

"Thank you, Helga." She said. "And I-I promise."

Helga shot her a sad smile. She held her head up high for her best friend and had on a look of determination. "And I, Helga G. Pataki vow that tomorrow shall be the best day of my life!" She declared, raising her fist in the air. "Now, come on, Phoebe, we've gotta strategize."

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**Duh-Duh-Duhn. Review!**


	2. The List

**Part 2**

**Goodbye to Helga Chapter 2: The List**

Helga and Phoebe walked home from the hospital that day, not even talking to each other about what they just found out. They finally got to Phoebe's house and stood out on the porch. Phoebe however, was still crying her little eyes out.

Helga rolled her eyes. "Hello, Phoebe? I'm the one who's dying not you." She said, writing on a piece of paper.

Phoebe finally caught a hold of herself. "I'm sorry, Helga." She sniffled, removing her glasses and wiping them of any water that may have got smeared on her lenses. "Have you thought about what you wanna tell..." She looked around to see if anybody was listening. "Ice Cream?" She whispered.

Helga looked up from her list. She never thought about how Arnold was going to react to this. He probably would be jumping for joy at the thought of his childhood nuisance going away forever. "Nothing. It'll just upset him." She glumly told her best friend.

"What about your family?" Phoebe asked.

"I couldn't tell them that. I don't know whether they'll just get mad or ignore it." She said. "I want my last few family hours to be a happy one for once." Helga explained.

Phoebe shot her a smile the second time that day and sighed. She thought how sweet it was to know that Helga really cared for her family. Although she couldn't help, but wonder how Helga could possibly be so calm about dying. "Well, have you thought of what you want to accomplish tomorrow?"

"Almost." Helga answered, looking over her list of things to do. Phoebe looked at it with her.

**1. Make List.**

**2. Eat A Hearty Breakfast.**

**3. Have Mother-Daughter Talk with Miriam.**

**4. Listen to Olga Play Her Piano.**

**5. Prank Call Dad.**

**6. Make Peace with Dad.**

**7. Go hang gliding.**

**8. Play hopscotch.**

**9. Experiment with Phoebe.**

**10. Shoot hoops with Geraldo.**

**11. Catch frogs with Sid.**

**12. Learn How to Play the Banjo with Stinky.**

**13. Eating contest with Harold at the Arcade.**

**14. Go Shopping with Rhonda.**

**15. Jazz Hands with Eugene.**

**16. Practice Ballet with Lila.**

**17. Meditate with Sheena.**

**18. Do handstands with Curly.**

**19. Go butterfly catching with Nadine.**

**20. Help Mrs. Vitello.**

**21. Order from Mr. Green's.**

**22. Shoot the breeze with Harvey.**

**23. Tell Off Principal Wartz.**

**24. Have one last shake at Slausen's.**

**25. Say Goodbye to Arnold.**

Phoebe smiled at Helga and hugged her. "Oh, that's most explicit, Helga."

Helga rubbed her arm nervously. "A-Actually, I'm not done yet, Pheebs. There's still one more last thing I wanna do, but I can't put my finger on it." She said.

"Oh, well, perhaps the answer will come to you later in the day." The Asian girl suggested. "On the other hand, I'm very proud of you for wanting to spend time with our classmates. It's really nice of you." Phoebe had complimented.

"Yeah, well, they better not get used to it." Helga huffed. She looked down at her list one more time and sighed. "Well, better get a good night's sleep. Until tomorrow, my dear, Phoebe, and my last day on Earth." Helga teared up, embracing Phoebe in a tight hug.

Little did they know, someone had already gotten the news from the hospital. Arnold covered his mouth in shock outside the walls of the Hillwood Medical Center. "Helga's dying?" He gasped.

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**Uh-oh. Like it so far? Sorry for the cliffhangers... not! Anyway, be sure to review.**


	3. A New Leaf

**Part 3. Oh, things are really getting good.**

**Goodbye to Helga Chapter 3: A New Leaf**

The girl slept peacefully and quite content under her covers. She dreamed of watching the sunset with her beloved Football Head as her last hours were kicking in. Suddenly the alarm went off and broke her out of her slumber. She slammed it off and remembered what today was going to be. It was now 6:30 on a Saturday morning. She slipped from underneath the covers and stumbled to her feet. She stretched and yawned aloud, reaching down to touch her toes as she did her morning exercises.

She went to the bathroom and couldn't help but look at the black mark near her bellybutton, the thing that marked her death sentence. She put on a mean scowl and stripped off her pajamas. "I am not going to let this... abomination stop me from having the best day of my life." Helga said with determination as she hopped in the shower.

After her morning activities, Helga collected her list and looked over the next thing in her schedule. "Eat a hearty breakfast." She read to herself. She stopped herself when she realized she could do something better than just sit and eat breakfast.

Big Bob came into the kitchen and immediately saw the display on the table. There was a big buffet of pancakes drizzled in syrup, sausages with rolls and a piece of toast and butter along with a bowl of cereal placed on a tray and a napkin and silverware set perfectly just for him. Bob wondered who cooked all of this for him, but shrugged it off as he wrapped the napkin around his neck and sat down to feast.

He then noticed a little note in front of the bowl of cereal.

**"Dear Dad, **

**Eat up! Hope you enjoy.**

**Love, Helga." (PS: I'm not allowed to use the stove anymore so I made cereal for you instead of bacon and eggs.)**

Bob read the message and chuckled to himself. "Helga, huh?" He said, rubbing his chin in curiosity. He didn't understand why his youngest daughter would want to make breakfast for him and began to have second thoughts about her as he scarfed down a wad of pancakes. _'Mmm, pretty good.'_ He thought.

"Mom, Mom!" Helga called from all over the house. Her list read to have a mother-daughter talk with Miriam. She found her mother in the kitchen as always, getting ready to make her morning smoothie. She walked up to Miriam and held her hands behind her back.

"Hiya, Mom. Whatcha doin'?" Helga asked, slightly bothered by the fact that her mother was always making smoothies.

"Oh, just having a little smoothie, Helga." Miriam answered. Something was different about her. Her tone seemed to have changed. She didn't sound tired or drowsy, but soft and sober.

"Oh," Helga simply said. "Well, I guess you're too busy to talk." She sighed.

Miriam looked at her daughter and then back to her blender. She had to choose between the two. "Well, I guess we can have a talk, sweetie." She said, leading Helga to the couch.

She sat down and Helga did also. They sat silently for a minute before Helga broke the silence. "So, uh, what did you wanna be when you were growing up, Mom?" She asked her.

Miriam was a little startled by this question. "Well, I wanted to be a bull riding champion." She answered as best she could.

"Yeah, I remember you telling me that." Helga said, thinking back on their little road trip.

"And I guess a mother, too." The woman said.

"Oh, at least you have that dream." Helga replied. That remark seemed to have cheered her mother up a bit.

Just to keep the conversation going the two blondes talked about anything that was on their minds. They were finally opening up to each other. Miriam talked about the first time she met Bob, what it was like on the farm and past boyfriends also. Helga listened to each story full of enthusiasm.

The two were now cuddling in a hug and Helga thought of another question to ask. "What was I like when I was a baby?"

Miriam at this point basically forgot all about her smoothie. "Oh, I remember when you were a little girl, and you used to always make the biggest messes in the world." She giggled. "Oh, one time your father, Olga and I spent the whole day cleaning up an entire aisle at the supermarket."

"No wonder the manager always looks at me weird when I go in there." Helga sneered. She got a little quiet when Miriam started to get a little emotional.

"And you always loved music. It helped put you to sleep, cheered you up or made you sad, but you loved it anyway. You used to dance and groove like something out of Woodstock. Your father was a bit worried when he thought you would turn out to be a hippie." Miriam covered her mouth to stiffen her giggles. "Oh, but you were still my little baby." She hugged her daughter tightly, laying sloppy kisses on her cheek.

"Too tight, too tight, Mom!" Helga gasped. Miriam let go and continued to laugh.

"What was my first word?" The ten-year-old asked, rubbing her arm.

Miriam smiled a warm grin at her youngest daughter. "Helga." She answered.

Helga's eyes widened at this and blinked. "Really?" She asked. Her actual name was her very first word.

"You actually named yourself, Helga."

So she wasn't named after Olga. Maybe she was named just because. "Oh, wow." She breathed.

"You kept chanting it as soon you were born. 'Helga, Helga, Helga,' all over the hospital. I wouldn't be surprised if they actually remember you. " Her mother explained. "And ever since that moment, I knew you were always going to be my little Helgie-Bear." Her mother teared up.

"I know, Mom." Helga groaned. _'Mothers.'_ She thought, rolling her eyes and slightly chuckling.

Miriam held her youngest daughter's hand. "Oh, hearing your laughter again and again, I hear your father." She said, having a peaceful look on her face. She traced Helga's cheek. "But... you have the beauty of no other, Helga. One of a beautiful woman waiting inside of you to blossom just like your sister. You just have to find it." She advised her.

Helga nodded her head in curiosity. She wondered if she could've really been beautiful if she lived longer. She had a dream once that she was grown up and turned out to be quite a handsome young woman that all the guys fell for.

Of course, it was just a dream after all.

"Listen to Olga play her piano." Helga sighed, reading the next thing on her list and crossed it off as she stepped into the trophy room. She saw Olga warming up her scales and scowled. "Hmph, still a perfectionist." She muttered, walking over to sit with her older sister on the bench.

Olga noticed Helga's presence and stopped playing. "Oh, hi, Baby Sister." She greeted her, smiling. "Do you want me to cut out this infernal racket?" She asked, cautious to Helga's reaction.

"Oh, let me hear you play." Helga sulked.

Olga was curious as to why Helga suddenly was interested in her playing. "Why?" She asked.

"Does a girl have to explain?" Helga exclaimed, waving her arms. "Let's just share your gift, okay?" She demanded.

Olga shrugged and cracked her fingers to make them relaxed. She hit the first few notes and continued. She didn't notice Helga starting to tear up beside her as she sniffled. Helga was too sad by what was going to happen in just fifteen hours.

Olga cringed at the sound of her sister crying. She kept hitting the keys, unsure of what her sister's reaction was going to be. The melody was a little sad.

Suddenly, the elder sister changed the tempo so that it read a familiar tune. It seemed to wake Helga up as she recognized the name of the song instantly. "Yeah, that's more like it." Helga cheered, getting up from the bench to dance.

"Oh, I want to be in that number..." She started to sing. "Oh, when the Saints go over there." She pointed into a random direction. Helga danced a little jig and started to do a finale. "Oh, over there,

Oh, over there." She continued singing.

The two sisters were actually bonding in a way that didn't involve Helga's sarcastic marks or Olga acting better than her. They sang and danced for about an hour.

Helga was slightly humming a few more notes of "When the Saints Go Marching In" as she was heading to the trophy room. She spotted her father sitting in his chair and reading the paper as usual. She slowly walked towards him. "Dad,?" She asked as she knelt down beside him.

Bob looked up from his paper at his daughter. "Huh? Oh, it's you." He huffed. "What do you want?" He asked her grumpily.

For some reason, Helga couldn't stay mad at him. She just kept a straight face. "Dad, we never been close, have we?"

"Not to my knowledge." He said as he turned away from her.

"We never went fishing or played catch or... never even hugged each other." She said softly.

"We never danced the hutchie-coo either, what's your point?" Bob rolled his eyes.

"I-I just wanted you to know..." Helga choked a sob. "... That I love you, Dad."

Bob's eyes widened and he sat up closer to Helga. "You do?"

Tears were streaming down her face as she nodded. "Uh-huh."

Bob rose from his chair, his face full of happiness. "Aw, girl, I love you, too."

Helga's smile just got wider and wider as she noticed that he didn't call her Olga.

"Hey, how 'bout a hug?" He asked her, spreading his big bear arms wide.

Helga didn't even hesitate as she was already hugging him around his big belly while he was picking her up off the floor. "Dad!" She yelled as she found out who this person she was hugging really was.

"Girl!" He yelled in response.

"Papa!" She called him.

"Helga!"

"My old man." She muttered as she crossed off her thing to do on her list. The two released each other from their hug. She sighed, seeing it was almost 11:30 and she had a ton of other stuff to do. "Well, I gotta go."

"Oh, Girl, no." He begged her, grabbing her wrist. "We gotta a lot of catchin' up to do. What do ya say we go fishing?" He asked.

Helga was utterly touched that he actually wanted to spend time with her. "Gee, Dad, if I wasn't on such a tight schedule..." She left her words in the air as she saw his face. He really wanted to spend time with her. She gave in. "Oh, let's go get some worms."

The two Patakis were fishing in a little boat. Bob suddenly caught a nibble and pulled the feisty fish out of the water. Helga gave him a thumbs up and turned around and pulled her list out of her dress pocket. "Well, no time for that." She said as she crossed off number 5 which was prank calling her dad.

After that, the two played a game of catch. Bob tossed the baseball to Helga and Helga caught it successfully. She got out her list and crossed another thing off as it had already been an hour. She was going to go hang gliding, but she shook it off. "Aww, I really wanted to do that one." She groaned.

Now, Bob was just testing her patience as she and he were wrestling in the park on the grass. She landed on his stomach, giving him a body-slam. She pulled out her list yet another time and growled. "Gee, Dad, way to hog my last moments." She said sarcastically as she crossed out the one to play hopscotch.

"Just a quick game of hacky-sack?" He begged her, but ceased as she was just walking away from him. He understood that she had somewhere to go. "I love you, Helga!" He shouted for everyone else in the park to hear.

Helga hid the side of her face with her hand. "Uh, yeah..." She blushed, embarrassed. On the way to Phoebe's house, she stopped to look over the bridge and admire her reflection. She saw her face being rippled by the incoming water and sighed. Her face seemed to have no expression at all. Helga then looked towards the sky and wondered about things that seemed way too complicated for even Einstein to figure out. The last time she felt this way was when she took that so called "love potion".

Not too far away, Arnold was observing her and couldn't help but feel sorry for her. He and Helga were never too concerned about their feelings, but from the way she looked right now, he was worried about her. "Oh, Helga, I wish there was something I could do." He sighed, walking until he was out of sight.

Finally, Helga made it to Phoebe's and the two had beakers of strange substances surrounding the kitchen. They both had on lab coats and were testing to see which substance could react the most differently if vinegar was added. Unfortunately, Helga was too distracted reading the chemistry book and the glob inside the beaker exploded, leaving both Helga and Phoebe covered in sticky green substance. They laughed, rolling all over the kitchen floor.

At the basketball court, Gerald was shooting a couple of baskets. The basketball got swept up by Helga and she smirked. Gerald read her expression and considered it a challenge. The two had a little one-on-one and ended the game with a tie. Gerald congratulated her, saying that he hopes she will end up in a better place.

Helga smiled, thinking that Phoebe must've already told him about her cancer.

Sid and Helga were cautiously watching out for anything green that moved in the pond. He saw something budge and hastily grabbed it, holding a frog in the air in triumph. Helga noticed his technique and thought that she should try it. She immediately saw something hop and snatched it. By about 5 minutes, they both caught about a dozen frogs. They both shook hands in congratulation for their teamwork.

Helga carefully stroked each string gently but with firmness. Her fingers were killing her, but she was actually able to make a few chords on Stinky's guitar. He gave her a pat on the back for trying.

It was bully vs. bully and the shots were down. Harold and Helga both consumed about five extra-large pizzas and topped them off with three sodas. Harold sat back in his chair defeated as he rubbed his full belly and made uneasy faces towards Helga during her dance for joy. She knew she could out-eat him. She came around the table and playfully punched his arm and saying that he did good.

This was one of the things she dreaded doing on her list, but she might as well tough it out. Rhonda took her to the Hillwood Mall and tried on some outfits on her. Helga ended up going with that beatnik style of clothing, wearing a purple V-neck, black khakis and wore tinted pink, square framed sunglasses. On her feet she wore matching black sandals and on her head was her pink bow. The two ten-year-olds then went into the salon where a lady made Helga's hair really wavy that she decided to wear it down the rest of the day. Rhonda even said she was proud of her for finally getting a new style of clothes and also said that Helga was very chic. At least it was over.

Listening to "Summer Nights", Helga could really feel the beat of the music and danced exactly on cue with the melody. She danced beside Eugene and shook their hands back and forth rapidly, successfully accomplishing the jazz hands technique. That is, until Eugene tripped over Helga's feet, but he was okay.

She had forgotten how ballet can be so relaxing as she was practicing a pirouette. When she was six, Helga had done one year of ballet, but came out of it when she found out baseball was better. Lila danced right beside her perfectly as usual. Helga sneakily made her way over to the stereo and changed the tempo from a classical song to a hip-hop beat. Lila stopped herself when she noticed how Helga was dancing like a professional hip-hop dancer. She shared a laugh with her.

Who knew that yoga could also be relaxing for the mind, body and spirit? Helga had never felt more at peace with herself to empty her mind just by meditating with Sheena. The wind chimes made the atmosphere seem calm and collected and the fung-shway helped balance her emotions out.

The ten-year-olds' record was now eight minutes from the time it took her to see how much blood rushed through her head. Curly was facing her upside-down and collapsed, causing the domino effect on Helga and rolled on the floor laughing.

With teamwork, Helga and Nadine managed to catch twenty-two butterflies. Okay, twenty-one and a moth. Even though butterflies creep Helga out a little bit, she admired the way they flew and landed ever so quietly and the different colors they had, making her last hours seem peaceful and content.

Helga stopped by Mrs. Vitello's and helped water her plants. She also kept some of Nadine's butterflies and let them go around her garden. She thought it would help make the garden seem livelier. Mrs. Vitello awarded her by giving her a pink rose and a pinch of the cheek.

At Mr. Green's Butcher shop, Helga ordered a pound of briskets and fired them up with Harvey on his stoop. They had a mini barbecue and it smelled really good.

After that, she made one last stop at the candy shop, seeing it was 6:30 and already getting dark. She picked out a bag of the cherry gummy bears she adored so much and noticed Harold stuffing his face outside the store. She broke the rule by telling him about how she was dying.

"Y-you mean you're dying and you weren't even gonna stop at Slausen's for a last shake with your buddy?" Harold started blubbering like a baby.

Helga felt an ounce of guilt for telling this to him now, but what could she have said? "Hey, Harold, look... it was on my list, along with a lot of other things I didn't get to do today." She explained. She then noticed two men in the park and instantly knew who they were. "Hey, look its' Wartz!" She pointed her finger at them.

Indeed, Principal Wartz and Mr. Simmons were sitting on a park bench eyeing the different women that walked past them. "Simmons," Principal Wartz elbowed him. "Check out the luscious legs on that one." He pointed to a young woman with a red cocktail dress and matching black heels. "That's it, baby. Work those ankles." He growled flirtatiously.

"Ring-A ding-ding, Sir." Mr. Simmons agreed.

"Hey, Wartz! You **SUCK!**" Helga yelled, running from their sight.

Wartz turned around dangerously in his seat. "Who the Sam Hill was that?" He asked, scowling.

Mr. Simmons sat up to get a closer view of who shouted that awful thing. "Why, it's... Helga Pataki, Sir. One of my very special students from my class."

"Pataki, eh? I want her in my office at 9:00 Monday morning. We'll see who's going to be the one who sucks then." He muttered.

"Wow, of all the luck. To think I almost died without telling the boss that he sucks." Helga chuckled, crossing off the item off her list and smiling.

"Come on, Helga. You got time for one last shake. Please?" Harold pleaded, rather desperately in need of something cold.

The two walked into Slausen's and pulled up a stool. She noticed that Sid, Gerald and Stinky were also there. Helga ordered a triple chocolate fudge ripple with extra whipped cream and a cherry. as she slurped it down, she made each and every taste last longer than it should. After she was done, she tapped on her empty glass, trying to quiet everyone down. "Guys, keep it down!" She lowered her voice. "I got some last words."

"I never told you chuckleheads this before, but... sometimes when I'm alone, I think of you guys and smile. So often I think that..." She stopped herself, realizing that her eyes were forming tears. "Oh, words won't do it." She yelled, hopping down from her stool to face Sid.

"I love you, Sid." She kissed him on the cheek.

Sid shook his head in disgust. "Okay, okay, not in public." He said, embarrassed.

Helga then kissed Stinky on the cheek. "I love you, Stinky." Her action made Stinky blush. "Gawrsh." He swooned, rubbing his cheek.

"I love you, Geraldo." She pecked him on the cheek and walking away.

Gerald shrugged. "Huh, she better be dyin'." He muttered, knowing that girl must be dying if she would've kissed him on his cheek.

"I love you, Harold." Helga kissed him on his forehead.

Harold stopped eating his ice cream and looked at her in surprise. "Whoa, how European." He said as he belched out loud. Helga glanced at the clock on the wall and saw that it was now 7:00. There was one last stop she had to go to.

She ran out the store without paying and headed down the street, running like there was no tomorrow. "I'm coming, Football Head!" She called for him.

To the Sunset Arms she goes!

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**Will Helga make it in time? Find out in the next installment.**


	4. Cloud Paintings & Gummy Bear Goodbyes

**To any of you out there that are saying that I'm a bad person, you haven't even read the whole story yet. You don't know if she's going to die or not so keep reading, bucko!**

**Goodbye to Helga Chapter 4: Cloud Paintings & Gummy Bear Goodbyes**

She had to make it. She just had to. After all, she was Helga G. Pataki for crying out loud. She laughs in the face of Death. With her legs already turning into jelly, she just kept on running. If she wanted to run this much, she would've been a bunny rabbit.

Pretty soon, Helga finally reached the steps of the boarding house. She opened the door and a barrage of animals came flocking out, with Abner casting a glance at her, his little eyes seeming to say "I know you!" Helga leaned down and petted the playful animal before it ran off to catch up to the others.

She led herself inside and shut the door behind her. The group of borders were all sitting on the couch, watching the television. Helga carefully snuck past them, leading herself upstairs. She made it in front of the stairwell to Arnold's room and climbed up.

She peered inside his room and found him sitting on his bed, looking depressed and sad. _'He looks so lost.'_ Helga thought to herself. She hesitated at first, but found the courage to knock on the door.

Arnold shot up from his spot on his bed and saw Helga standing in his doorway. "H-Helga, how'd you get in here?" He asked, startled.

The ten-year-old rubbed the back of her neck. "I-I wanted to come over, Arnold. I thought maybe you wanted to talk about something." She confessed.

"Oh," He replied, blushing that the Helga G. Pataki was standing in his room, not making any insults. "Well, you can sit here on my bed."

"Thanks." Helga smiled, walking toward his bed and sitting down. She pulled out the bag of cherry gummy bears out of her dress pocket. "I brought some snacks." She offered him one.

He took it and gulped it down eagerly. "Thank you, Helga." He said, swallowing the delectable candy.

They both sat there on the bed for two hours as they were still snacking on gummy bears. Arnold asked Helga questions and listened to each and every one of her answers. He didn't know she was so... interesting. It was like she always had something on her mind to tell someone. He had one question that was just itching to come flying out of his mouth.

"Helga..." He started. "I heard about your disorder."

Helga's eyes widened. She looked shocked and hurt. "How?"

"I went over to the hospital and wanted to see if you were okay. The doctor told me everything."

Helga couldn't find a way out of this. "I-I..."

Arnold brought a hand to her cheek. "Helga... why didn't you tell me?" He asked, his eyes were beginning to tear.

"I didn't want you to... watch someone you love..." She stopped herself from crying, thinking about how he already lost his parents. "I thought you would be happy... knowing that the worst thing that could happen in your life would be gone forever."

"Happy?" He questioned. "How could you possibly think that?" Arnold shook his head, thinking how soft she was being toward him. "I thought you changed. I thought we were past this feeling of containing everything inside, Helga." It was true. Aside from being less hostile toward him, Helga promised that she would open up and tell him about her problems. It seemed hard for him to believe it now.

She sighed and gave in. "You're right, Arnold. I made a promise and I'm doing a lousy job of keeping it. I'm sorry." Helga slouched forward, hoping to catch a whiff of his scent.

_'Well, she does seem sorry._' Arnold figured, noticing how... cute she looked when she apologized. He decided to give her a little mercy. "I forgive you and I kinda figured that it would be hard to tell someone you're dying." Arnold placed another hand on her shoulder. "Helga, I think you're really brave to go through with this."

Helga's eyes just got even wider. _'He... thinks I'm brave?'_ Her heart skipped a beat as she swooned inside of herself. "B-Brave?" Her lips trembled, almost passing a swoon. "Well, there's really nothing to be afraid about. Death is part of the life cycle. Without it, bad people like say, Hitler would still be terrorizing half the country." She explained.

Arnold let what Helga pointed out sink in and realized she made a very good point. "Wow, I guess I never thought of it like that." He still couldn't believe how nice and deep she could be. "Personally, I'd be absolutely terrified going through the day, carrying the burden of never being able to talk to the people I care about again."

Helga started to speak more softly. "Yeah..." She frowned, realizing that he'll probably never hear the sound of her voice again. It made her want to die already.

He could tell by Helga's tone that it wasn't an interesting topic to talk about. "Oh, sorry, Helga." He rubbed his arm. "I didn't mean to make you sad. I just thought what you said was really... well, profound."

Helga couldn't help but smile, thinking how cute he was being when he used better vocabulary. "Aw, don't sweat it, Football Head. It doesn't upset me all the time. After all, the ones that are dying go to a better place and the ones that are still living help make the WORLD a better place. As long as the person still living has some type of closure." She finished her statement.

_'I never realized how adorable she looked when she was speaking. I wish I could give her a hug. No... A kiss? Yes, a kiss!'_ The mere thought of kissing his former bully was considered unheard of, though the thought did cross his mind. Arnold felt a spark go through his brain, hearing her last sentence. Closure? _'Yeah, closure!' _That's how he could make these last few moments meaningful for her. Let bygones be bygones.

Feeling a rush of boldness go throughout his body, Arnold took Helga by the hand. "H-Helga, before we saved the neighborhood, I was really nervous to go anywhere near you, but afterwards, when we became better..." He stopped to look for the right word. "Acquaintances, I think it's nice that we can sit and talk like... like friends."

Helga gave an amused smirk, raising one side of her brow. "Geez, I never took you for the nervous type, Arnoldo."

His eyes snapped to hers. "I, um..."

She chuckled a little. "I always considered us friends, Football Head."

His eyes widened and he gawked at her a little bit. "You did?"

She looked back at him, now a little nervous after realizing what she just said. "Well, y-yeah. I mean, sure I don't ACT like your friend, but that doesn't mean I don't WANT to be your friend."

He raised an eyebrow at her. "Oh, well, if you wanna be my friend, Helga, then consider it done." He said with a smile. "I think I can consider you a friend. Maybe even a best friend." Arnold hinted, giving her a wink.

She smiled a little and blushed a shade of red. "Good to know, pal." She choked out, eating a wad of gummy bears.

He nodded, blushing a little. "…A wonderful, funny, talented, smart, amazing, brave, and super awesome best friend."

"Really?" She asked him, quickly regaining back her pride. "O-Of, course I am, Football Head. If you're going to be my friend, the first rule you gotta learn is Helga G. Pataki ain't scared of nothin' or nobody." She crossed her arms over her chest, sticking her nose high in the air.

Arnold rolled his eyes playfully. "Of course. I never thought that for a minute, Helga."

"Of course you didn't." She stated once again before popping another gummy bear into her mouth and chewing it. She reached into the bag to get another one, but found it to be the last one.

"Oh, I guess I must've scarfed down more than I needed to." She shied away. Helga held out the red piece of candy, offering it to him.

Arnold noticed her gesture and caught on. "Oh, no... I mean that is if you want it, Helga." He rubbed the back of his neck.

Helga spread her arms out in defense. "No, you take it, Football Head. You deserve it more than I do." She genuinely said, handing it to him. Arnold took it by surprise, shocked at how sweet Helga was being. "Thanks, Helga. I'm sure it'll be delicious coming from you." He said, starting to eat it.

"Hey, you're right. Give it back!" She lunged for it, startling Arnold in the process. Helga saw his scared expression and collected herself. "No," Helga shook her head from her previous action, knowing it was wrong of her to try and take something from Arnold. "I still want you to have it." Helga smiled, knowing it was the right thing to do.

"Thank you, Helga. You're very sweet." Arnold blushed, gobbling the last of the gummy treats, and held her hand tighter. He could barely keep it down from blushing so hard and he thought there was no way these gummy bears were as sweet as her. He could feel his heart pounding and his insides churning. He felt like a huge mess, but a wonderful mess. Why?

Helga, in response giggled and wrapped an arm around his shoulder, keeping him close. "Yep, that's me. Sweet ol' Helga G. Pataki." She giggled at the silly idea, but coming from Arnold, it more than flattering. Helga then did something that made both she and Arnold die. She reached up to his head and ran her fingers through it affectionately.

Arnold shuddered in response and didn't seem to mind as he was staring at her through half-lidded eyes. "Yep." Arnold winked at her. _'Am I flirting with her or is she flirting with me'_ He asked himself. _'Well, whatever I'm doing, I don't want to stop.' _

"I'm glad we're finally friends." He said as her stroking of his hair seemed to calm and quicken his heart beats at the same time. Helga Pataki was just a wonder. A pure wonder. How could he have missed out on something so great? He regretted not reaching out to her further in the past, but at least now they were here and that counts, right?

Helga just continued to run her finger through his hair, her eyes half-lidded in adoration and love. "Me too... friends forever and ever..." _'And ever and ever and ever...' _She mentally swooned.

"Friends to the end." Arnold managed, wrapping his arms around her stomach, giving her a hug and playing with her hair in return.

Her eyes widened, but she soon felt herself giving in and hugging him back for the first time. For once she didn't push him away and she heard a sigh come out of him, as he felt satisfied by the hug. _'Oh, my beloved. At last, no more berating you from my arms and insulting your wonderful sense of kindness. But alas, my time is numbered and I can only be on this earth, holding you in my arms, for just a limited time. I must set you free.'_ She thought bitterly to herself, her heart still pounding and nervously and affectionately. "Arnold, I need you to promise me something." She spoke softly up to his ear.

Feeling the contact of her hot breath so close to his ear, Arnold let out another shudder. "What, Helga? Anything." He also said softly, enjoying the feel of her against him.

"Promise me that after I'm gone, know that I'll always be there, watching over you."

Arnold nearly forgot about her dying as he separated from her. "But... But..." He whimpered.

Helga cut him off. "Tomorrow, when this night is over, I want you to wake up feeling like today is going to be the same as it always was."

Arnold shook his head. "But it won't be the same... without you." His eyes filling with tears.

"You're right, it won't... but you can change that. Just keep doing what your doing. Pretend it's you and me seizing the day and you bringing out that wonderful spunk that's going on in that crazy football head of yours." She bonked him playfully on his head. "And most importantly, know that I'll always be there... in your thoughts and in your dreams. I'll stand by you, Arnold. But just because you can't see me doesn't mean that I'm not there." She smiled a sad smile, keeping her tears at bay. "Okay?"

Arnold still didn't want her to say those agonizing things, but he gave in, seeing it's what she really wants. "Okay." He sniffled back his tears, bringing her back in for another hug only this time, he sought comfort in her by pulling her down to his level and nuzzling his face in her neck.

Helga frowned outwardly, though secretly squealing inside that he was coming to her for support, and rubbed his back. "Shh, it's okay." She muttered soothingly in his ear.

Hearing how sweet her voice was, Arnold couldn't help but smile and inhale. He caught a whiff of her hair and it smelled of... _'Mmm, vanilla.'_ He sighed lovingly. "Thanks, Helga." He smiled, pulling back from her.

"You're welcome." _'What a sweetie.'_

Arnold gazed at Helga as the moon's glow spread all over her body, and into her eyes. _'I never knew they were so blue.' _He kept staring at her in wonder. "Helga... would you like to come up on the roof with me?" He asked her, rubbing the back of his neck, shyly.

"Sure." She replied, hopping down from the bed and following him to the top of the boarding house. She followed close behind him and climbed up the built in wall stairs to the top of the skylight. He pushed it open and pulled her up through it.

Once she got to the roof, a gentle breeze blew over her and gazed up at the stars in the night sky. They seemed closer and brighter than ever before. Helga gasped when she saw the view of the city. She had been on his roof a number of times for unexplainable reasons, but she never noticed how everything, every building on top was visible to her.

"Wow, I never knew you could see everything from up here." Helga said, pulling her and Arnold on the cement.

Arnold rubbed his arm. He never saw her that happy before and he thought she looked nice. "Yeah, I sometimes come out so I can just feel like I'm top of the world and see everything that's below me."

"I know what you mean. I always like sitting atop high places. They just seem to lift me up above my problems and forget about them rather than have them chain me down to the ground." She explained.

"Wow, that was really deep, Helga." Arnold said, impressed at how she used words.

"I mean it." She pointed to a familiar landmark. "You can even see Mighty Pete from here." Helga frowned, putting down her finger. She hoisted her head using one hand and kept fiddling with her fingers. Arnold noticed this and realized it would probably be the last time she would get to see the tree house.

He had to cheer her up and fast. "I bet they even have a bigger one up there." He pointed towards the sky. "And who knows? One that can reach far and beyond..." He said, smiling, but when he looked to his left, he only saw a sad face.

Helga looked up at the tree house from far away. "I'll bet I'll never find another tree house that can fly to outer space, or go back in time or become invisible like that one." She said with an ashamed look on her face. No matter where she went after this night, no tree house could ever replace Mighty Pete.

Arnold tried again, determined to make her smile. "It'll still be here when you go." He stated, trying to hold back tears.

Helga looked up at the stars again. "Yeah, I know." She muttered, not making eye contact with him.

Seeing her blank expression, he couldn't help but ask. "Helga, are you okay?"

She answered in a soft voice. "Yeah, I'm just a little tired all of a sudden." She clenched her slow beating heart, hoping he wouldn't notice.

Arnold wondered how anybody in this world could be as strong as her about dying. He read from her face there was no sadness, no happiness, no nothing but wonder. The way her shiny and smooth looking blonde hair, blows in the wind before landing against her shoulders. Her blue eyes filled with astounding observation and wonder.

To Arnold, Helga looked like something of a romantic poet, sitting atop a roof on a cloudy but breezy night, the stars, peeking out from behind clouds and twinkling above her and the full moon, showing off its hypnotizing light. He never realized how absolutely beautiful she was in the moonlight. He stared back at her and noticed she still had the same expression on her face, only she wasn't looking at the stars. Stars were supposed to make you happy. No, she was looking at something more depressing than the stars. Those puffy, gray cotton shapes into sky that resembled how she was feeling, gray and empty inside.

_'Poor Helga, still staring at the clouds.' _He watched them along with her as they passed by along with her time. Seeing her so depressed made him so was usually so vibrant and energetic, now she looked just dead... and miserable. He cleared his throat, trying to make her at least look at him.

"Oh, you, too, Football Head." Helga sighed and shook her head.

Arnold raised his brow in confusion. "What do you mean?"

Helga could tell by the look on his face she knew what was coming. "Go ahead, I'm ready. Cheer me up." She said unenthusiastically while burying her face in her hands.

Arnold rubbed the back of his neck. "Oh, Helga, I'd love to. I-I mean, I'm supposed to... but I guess what I'm really trying to say was to-to apologize."

Helga peeked through a crack in her spread fingers, and looked at him weird. _'He's... apologizing?'_ She was constantly asking herself what he could have done to her to make him want to apologize. She was the one who tortured him practically all his life. Well, except this moment.

"E-Earlier I saw you today by the bridge and I noticed... y-you were always standing up there so... so sad." He had trouble getting his words out for the fear of breaking down right in front of her. "And I heard that you did such a good job of cheering everybody up, and I-I have no way to make _you_ h-happy." He turned away from her in shame.

Helga removed her hands from her face and her eyes widened. _'He... tried to... m-make me happy?'_ Her heart skipped a beat. _'Such a cute Football Head.' _

He felt a hand being placed on his shoulder, guiding him to look at her. When he turned back around, he saw Helga's face beaming at him. "So _that's_ what this is all about." She figured out. "Well, I'm grateful to you, Football Head." She playfully punched him in the chin to cheer him up. "...Even if you almost killed me." She added, thinking how silly he was being, believing he couldn't cheer her up.

"But I don't come up there because I'm sad, I'm come to the bridge because I'm happy." Helga confessed, smiling at him.

"No?" _'She's not sad?'_ He kept asking himself.

"Nope," She simply replied, shaking her head. "Let me show you something because you are a good friend." She pointed back up to the sky. "Now, watch that cloud."

Arnold gasped and "Oh," in surprise and his eyes got even wider as the cloud's shadow covered a ray of darkness across his body. Soon, more clouds began to come together and form as a streak of pink sparkles spun around each cloud and found its way through a crack in one, bursting out colorful fountains of wonder and sweetness. The huge weather cloud erupted a shade of pink, green and purple, as it changed from one color to the next.

He now saw sparkles dropping down from the sky, surrounding where he was sitting and landing on his face and hair, along with Helga's. He reached his hand in the air, already catching a handful of pink sparkles. He laughed as he threw them back in the air as they drifted down slowly, getting caught in his hair.

This had to be a dream, only it wasn't. Other kids would never believe it, but Arnold didn't care. He loved it. It was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen and he knew who to thank. "What's going on?" He asked the girl on his left.

"Cloud painting," Helga answered, giggling at how impressed he was and how silly she was being in her imagination. "Isn't it cool?"

Arnold changed his mind. He couldn't believe it. He wondered if the sky would hold a phenomenon like this every night, he'd never wanna go to bed or see this night end. "H-How are you doing that, Helga?"

_'Is he... happy? Oh, I made him happy! Well, maybe I didn't make him jump for joy and make him confess a declaration of love to me, but at least I made him SOMETHING! Oh, nothing will ever make my beloved weak again!'_ Helga sighed lovingly as she held his hand and squeezed it. "Aw, anybody can do it." She said. "Just use your imagination."

Arnold just gazed up at wonder in the sky and thought to himself where has Helga been all his life. His heart pounded, feeling her soft grasp on his hand. He turned away from the spectacular event above him to look at something even more amazing as he held her hand tighter. He looked back at Helga. "Thank you... Thank you for showing this to me, Helga. Nothing's ever made me feel so warm and happy and..." Arnold could barely finish his sentence.

_'__**I **__made _**_him_**_ happy?'_ She thought humbly to herself, thinking back on the many times Arnold had made her so content without knowing it. "Heh, just returning the favor, Arnold... just returning the favor." She chuckled with a peaceful look on her face, wrapping an arm around his torso and leaning on his shoulder.

The clouds looked like the peak of Heaven as they appeared to be so puffy and colorful. The colors all jumbled together, making it similar to a rainbow only better. Arnold knew why Helga showed him this. It wasn't just to cheer him up, but to help him remember the good times they had and all the memories they made. She showed that happiness and true beauty are never very far away. He was also very proud because he got to see the world through the eyes of his new best friend... even if it was just for a brief moment.

Arnold and Helga found their way back inside the room and both sat facing each other on Arnold's bed, neither one of them talking. The doctor had said her heart would stop sometime in the evening, but it was only 9:30. Helga could feel her heart starting to beat slower and slower. It was almost time. She couldn't find the strength to look at her beloved. It's her fault this is hurting him the most.

Arnold, on the other hand, was in the same boat Helga was. In just a few hours she would be out of his life forever. No, he couldn't let that happen, but there was nothing he could do other than keep the promise he made to her. He thought of some way to at least comfort her.

"My grandpa says that saying goodbye can be hard when someone's going to a new place..." He learned that when his parents left. "So, it's okay if you're scared." Arnold nodded his head at Helga in understanding.

Helga, her eyes still looking down, managed to answer. "Thanks," Only this time it was different. She was going away, but it was for forever. She felt like she was abandoning him.

Arnold tried to stay positive. "And who knows? Maybe you'll like it. There's cake and balloons... and the breeze is always gentle..." He paused, letting tears stream down his face while he sat almost emotionless. "And everybody has a smile on their face, Helga." He wanted to go on, but it was just killing him. _'Oh, who am I kidding?'_ He thought hopelessly as tears began to flood his eyes. It was too impossible to look on the bright side if someone you... love is dying. He didn't want to lose her, he couldn't lose her. It just wasn't fair!

Helga was never a religious type, but she did believe that such a place existed. The question is was it right for her? She closed her eyes, imagining a world rid of problems and difficulties, where no time was needed and there was peace for all eternity. Helga fluttered her eyes open when she felt a hand cover hers. It was Arnold.

Arnold gripped her hand and scooted closer to her on the bed, his eyes just soaking with tears. "Helga..." He started before biting his lips to keep from crying but it was no use. "Please don't go." He whimpered softly, nearly breaking down in front of her.

She never saw him cry before, but she hated seeing him like this. It had to stop. She reached a hand up to rub his head. "Oh, I'm sorry, Arnold, but please don't cry." Helga begged him.

Arnold choked a sob and tried wiping his tears away, only to find them rushing out of the corners of his eyes. He offered her a pity smile. "I'm sorry I'm crying, Helga, but it's not fair."

Helga shushed him by running her fingers through his hair again. "I know it's not, Arnold, but you know, it's the way these things go. One minute you're having the time of your life, the next you're sitting in a rocking chair with wrinkles all over your face, wondering where has the time gone."

"But you can't leave. I can't make it out there on my own. I need you, Helga."

"Do you think it's easy for me to admit I can't be here for you?" She looked at him, hurt. "It's too late for me. I have nothing more to give, Arnold, and it's time for you to be on your own."

That's the problem. He's practically been on his own from the minute his parents left. Arnold grabbed both of her hands in his, sending an electric spark going throughout her body at lightning speed. "But I _want_ you here with me. You're my best friend, Helga." He whispered.

Helga tightly held onto his in return. "You've learned everything you need, Arnold. Now all you have to learn is how to say goodbye." Helga said softly, a tear escaping from her eye.

Arnold gasped in shock. He couldn't let her go. "Helga, you can't go. You're the best girl friend I'll ever have."

Helga smiled, shaking her head. "Oh, that's not true, other girls will come along."

"Oh,_ please_..." He begged her.

"No, I can't lie to you. I AM the best." She bragged. "But, you know, some other boy might need me up there to be his friend."

Arnold traced his thumb over her soft cheek. "But... I need you, too." He didn't realize how selfish he was being, but he didn't care. All he wanted was for Helga to stay in his life forever.

Helga grabbed the hand he used to stroke her cheek and held it there. "I guess that's the problem with friendship, huh? Anybody who really cares will abandon you for those who need it more." She placed her hands on his shoulders. "I just hope there's another Arnold where I'm going."

Those words struck Arnold, recalling they were the exact words Pigeon Man said to him before he departed. "I-" He looked for another response, but couldn't find one as he tried to not to make his anymore difficult for her. "I understand." He whispered. "Helga, I... I'm gonna miss you." He sobbed, pulling her back into a hug, for the second time that evening, nuzzling his face in her neck.

Helga wrapped her arms around him again and made a decision. "I'll tell ya what." She said, breaking out of his embrace, feeling the same amount of disappointment he was feeling from the lack of contact. "Whenever you feel like you're alone... and there's nobody you can rely on..." She pulled a piece of paper from her pocket, writing something down on the back. "This is all you need to know." She stated, handing him the note.

Arnold took it, reading what it said. "_**You Are Arnold - My Best Friend." **_The note had read. Arnold let the following words sink into his head as he looked back up towards Helga. "Thank you so much, Helga." He smiled gratefully, wiping his tears away for good.

"So, I guess this is it. If you don't mind, I'll just lye here on the pillow and cry myself to sleep as time speeds you from my life." His voice cracked, reaching for Helga as she got off his bed. He watched her walk to the door slowly, before speaking when she started to turn the knob. "I'll remember you, though." He said softly, making her turn around to face him. "I remember everyone that leaves." Arnold looked down, thinking about his parents.

He suddenly felt hands caressing his shoulders and saw Helga standing in front of him, all smiles. "Or I could stay for just a little longer?" She suggested. Arnold laughed and flung her down on the bed, getting her in a headlock.

"Hey, hey, since when are you the aggressive type, Arnoldo?" Helga asked, rolling her eyes.

"Since I learned from the best." He released her and winked at her, making her insides melt. _'Same old Helga.' _He thought about the way he lips looked when she smiled and how pouty they looked when she frowned. Has she always been this adorable?

Arnold collected the note that was left on the bed and noticed other writing on the back. "What's this?" Arnold asked, swiping it from behind Helga.

Helga tried to lunge for it, but Arnold held it further away to where she couldn't grab it. "Oh, um..." She made a reach for it, but it failed. _'Crimeny, Helga, old girl. You couldn't hide it better? Now I'm gonna have to tell him the truth.'_ She sighed. "It's a list, Arnold."

"What type of list?" Arnold asked again, confused about why she didn't want him to read it.

"A list of things to do before I die. You know, how to spend my last hours or whatever."

Arnold looked over the list and realized she was telling the truth. It was practically her will. Everything seemed all neat and well organized. "Oh, you've been busy today. Nice job." He smiled.

Helga smiled a thanks and turned away and blushed. Arnold read the final thing on her list. It was #26. "A goodnight kiss?" He asked, looking at her oddly.

Helga rubbed the back of her neck. "Yeah, it was my last thing to accomplish before I go. I was gonna ask Miriam, but seeing how I have to stay here with you..." Her sentence was cut off when she realized Arnold put his hands on the side of her neck and was inches apart from her lips.

Arnold only continued to stare at her with half-lidded eyes and bringing one hand up to her head and stroking her soft strands like she did to him. He didn't want her to pull back because then he wouldn't be able to smell her scent anymore. She smelled so much like vanilla, only sweeter and more intoxicating. And her hair felt soft... so soft.

The decision of kissing his new best friend was out of the question. Friends don't kiss. Friends don't cuddle or hold each other tenderly. And friends _**especially**_ didn't give goodnight kisses to each other. So what was he gonna do?

Within an instant, his decision was final. _'If she wanted a goodnight kiss, then she could have one!'_ He thought. With the space between their lips decreasing, Arnold couldn't help but ask her. "Helga, c-can I kiss you?"

Helga's eyes widened. _'He... I... he wants to k-kiss...? Oh, crimeny, I'm losing it!' _She always dreamed of him asking her that, but here? Right now? Oh, she couldn't. Well, what's the shame in little kiss or two or more?

She searched for the right thing to say without scaring him off. "Well, why would you wanna kiss me? I mean, I'm not exactly the definition of beautiful. I probably smell. It's silly really. The whole thought is just ridicul-"

"Helga?" Arnold asked, his lips already brushing against hers.

She felt light headed, his breath mingling with hers. "Uh, yes?"

"Kiss me." He breathed passionately, kissing her deeply as his tears started to come back up.

She felt her eyes go heavy before finally closing. Helga brought her hands around his torso, lazily holding his waist, knowing nothing could ruin this moment.

Very softly, he spoke her name, placing a hand along her neck, fingering her soft hair. Leaning closer to her, he moaned and held her tighter. To him, she was just a walking basket of sweetness and love and... Confound it, he didn't want her to let go. "Mmm..." He sighed through his nose.

Helga's already closed eyes fell even tighter at his moan. _'Did he moan? Did I just make him moan? Oh, Arnold...'_ She swooned mentally. She melted closer to him also at feeling his hand fingering her hair like that. Every spot he touched with his fingers stung, but in a good way... a wonderful way, actually. "Mmm..." She moaned at the back of her throat, holding him tighter.

Arnold shuddered, bringing his hand to the back of her head, gently cradling her. He pecked her a few times on the lips before pulling back a bit. "Helga... Helga..." He murmured lovingly, unable to help himself and still cradling the back of her head, stroking her soft, golden locks. This was it! He fell in love with her.

Helga made a small, feminine sound of satisfaction and love and kissed back, holding his torso tighter, but gentler. Breathing rapidly and happily through her nose, Helga felt herself melting at their intimate and sweet contact, not to mention being able to kiss him like this practically scot free!

He shuddered a bit harder due to all that was progressing. His tongue having long worked its way inside her mouth and lingering the flavor of cherry gummy bears, Arnold reached one of his hands up and buried his fingers deep in her hair, feeling its silky touch. She traced the groove of his spine, making him search for a way to repay her.

His lips left hers in a rush, and kissed at her cheek, the corner of her mouth, her jawline and then along down her neck. She tilted her head back and moaned softly as she relished in his soft kisses down her neck. From that point on, nothing mattered then.

His tears ceased as he laid a light butterfly kiss on her neck until he was simply running kisses up her neck slowly. Every nerve in his body froze in both affection and pleasure as he continued his sweet kisses. Arnold kissed her ear quick before meeting his lips back to her jaw and finally to her lips. He just... had to get as close to her as possible.

The kiss deepened before long and they remained like that for as long as possible.

Soon, the lack of oxygen got to them both and they pulled apart, not breaking contacts with each other's lips. Helga was the first to speak. "Remember-" _Kiss._ "-when I said that the people that are still living help make the world a better place?" She asked, panting slowly.

Arnold stared at her through half-lidded eyes and a grin curving his mouth, the more rational side of his brain screaming at him to stop this madness, but the other side that was going insane with adoration for Helga was just yelling at him to keep going. He cupped her cheek gently, affectionately. "Yes... Yes, I remember." He whispered.

Helga had a peaceful look on her face. "Well, some people make the world a better place just by living in it." She said meaningfully. "And you know what? Personally, I think you're one of those people."

Arnold choked a sob at what she just said about him. "Oh, Helga!" He dove on top of her and kissed her passionately. Caught by surprise, Helga just relaxed into the kiss and wrapped her hands around his stomach again, his hands traveling all around her hair. Of all the sweet things in the world, of all the gummy bears in the world, they had absolutely nothing compared to Helga G. Pataki.

Forever they cuddled together, Helga still whispering soothing words in his ear as they helped him drift off to sleep in her arms. Her eyes fell heavy and she also, let herself rest.

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**Whew! This chapter took me forever to type, but here ya go! Review!**


	5. Time To Go

**Is this the end of our Helga? What will Arnold do? Just keep reading.**

**Goodbye to Helga Chapter 5: Time To Go**

The clouds all departed away and made the twinkling night stars visible in the dark sky. The breeze rustled the leaves all around the ground and made the trees bow to it.

Helga held her beloved's hand in hers and used the other one to rub the back of his neck. Arnold had his arms around her waist, making it impossible for her to leave him. He lay peacefully sleeping in her arms, as she woke up, seeing him smile in his sleep. "Mmm... Helga." He had murmured softly in his sleep while snuggling closer to her.

_'Is he... dreaming about me?'_ Her stomach filled with butterflies all flying around her stomach, remembering how sweet he was to her and how she woke up next to him holding her. _'Oh, my love, kissing me whilst I'm under harsh conditions. And now, it is almost time for my plague of sickness to take effect, but I will always love you, my darling.'_ Helga knew this couldn't last forever. She frowned, but still kept a rather peaceful smile on her face as she lifted his hand up to her lips and kissed his fingertips softly and sighed, feeling at peace with the world for once.

Removing his clingy arms, Helga got up from his bed and glanced at the digital numbers on the clock. It was 11:30 pm.

Time to go.

Walking out of his door, she turned and gave her love one last look and blew him a kiss. "Farewell, my love." She whispered, turning back around and quietly shutting the door behind her. When she got outside, Helga decided to take one last final walk around the city.

She passed Urban Tots Preschool, the place where she started her history with Arnold. She glanced inside and noticed there were tables flipped over, papers scattered across the floor, and the posters hanging off the walls. The place looked abandoned inside and dark and empty. Helga let out a depressing sigh and pressed on.

Her next stop was Mighty Pete. There were a lot of memories in this tree house, one being the time when her dad almost bulldozed it, but called it off when he realized she was in danger. She smiled at the memory of Arnold's grandma, swinging on a vine in a leopard robe and taking control of the machine. _'Man, that was so boss!'_ Helga thought with a smile.

Looking up at the stars, Helga immediately spotted the Big Dipper and the Little Dipper. Her father taught her how to read them and said that each constellation in the sky tells a story. Helga knew that she would be up there, teaching everyone about the stories she made down on Earth and formed new constellations for the sky.

She finally made it home and found herself in her sister's room. She tucked the cover over Olga's shoulder and leaned down to kiss her cheek. "Goodbye, Olga. Stay as sweet as you are." Helga whispered, tracing the back of her hand through her sisters' hair. No matter what happens, Helga would always love Olga and hoped she would stay the way she is forever as her 'Big Sis.'

Helga leaned over her mother's head and placed a kiss there as well. "Goodbye, Mommy. I'll always find a way to watch over you." She sighed, hoping that Miriam was stronger than she looked.

She went over to the side of the bed to where her dad was snoozing and kissed the top of his forehead, almost noticing the smile that appeared across his face. "Goodbye, Daddy... I like your sheets." She paused. "But I'll miss you the most." She said as she tiptoed out of the room.

The ten-year-old was glancing at a picture hanging up in the trophy room and sighed, looking over it one last time. Helga also noticed The Bible standing up behind it and placed it in her hands. "The Good Book." She said to herself, making her way over to Bob's chair that was facing the window and sat down.

She never called herself a religious person, but reading each chapter seemed to give her strength and a sense of comfort. Her eyes were beginning to fall heavy as she read each line and she started to slow down in her reactions to keep going.

Within seconds, her body was leaning forward, her eyes closed shut and bags underneath her eyes, and surprisingly in all smiles. Her arms were hanging limp over the arms of the chair and hanging lifelessly. With The Good Book grasped in her hands, it wasn't long until the book met the carpet floor with a huge thump noise with a limp hand hanging above it. The time was midnight, but it didn't matter because her time had already come.

As the hours gone by, the rays of sunlight began to peek its way through the windows of the house, telling the world that...

There was never a quieter day in the city of Hillwood.

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**I got one more chapter. It's gonna be good!**


	6. Life Really Is Good

**Arnold finds the truth...**

**Goodbye to Helga Chapter 6: Life Really Is Good**

The boy was starting to stir slowly in his sleep, dreaming about the wondrous girl that stayed with him all night and was so kind to him. Arnold wasn't even sure if that was Helga G. Pataki or the one he knew. This Helga was whispering sweet things in his ear and kissing his face. He also thought about the kiss that they shared last night... that wonderful kiss... that was just too hard to forget. She was just so important to him and she's the one who taught him that life is worth living all in one night.

His nose was buried in his pillow as he could still smell the scent that she left on his bed, that sweet, vanilla tang that just screamed out her name. "Helga..." He sighed dreamily, moving his hand around the spot where she slept and his eyes immediately snapped open as he felt nothing but the softness of his sheets. "Helga?" He asked again, louder. Arnold removed the covers from on top of him and searched his room. "Helga?" She left. There was only one place she could have gone last night.

He ran down the sidewalk to the Pataki household and found his way inside the house. It was quiet and not a soul seemed to be visible. Arnold searched all around the house until he got to the trophy room. He gasped as he saw two little limp arms, hanging from off the ends of the chair. He had a pity smile on his mouth as he thought about how his friend had done everything she wanted to do on her list and the award she got to cross the finish line of life.

Tears were starting to flood his eyes and he sighed. "You did it, Helga... you did it." Arnold walked cautiously closer into the trophy room and around the chair where she was sitting. He knelt down in front of her and saw how her front bangs were covering her eyes. Dare he remove them?

With hesitation causing him to prepare for what he was about to see, Arnold brushed back her silky hair away from her eyes. Helga's eyes were closed shut and had dark circles around them, her face was pale and her mouth looked stiff, but a peaceful smile curved around it.

Arnold covered his mouth and choked a sob. "Oh, Helga..." He sniffled, cupping her face tenderly in his hands. "Helga..." He traced her soft cheek before stroking his finger to her lips. They looked so still, but soft. Leaning in a bit closer, he brushed his lips against hers, making the sweetness of her lips last as he said goodbye in his own way.

_'Her lips are so soft and warm.'_ He thought, his eyes widening as he pulled away, shocked. _'Warm?'_ Arnold raised his brow and planted several lingering kisses all over her face. He traveled from her cheek, to her nose and to the top of her forehead. Laying the final kiss on the corner of her mouth, his lips wiped off some of the drool, hanging from the side of her mouth. Arnold transferred the saliva to his fingers and rubbed it in between his thumb and pointer finger. "Hmm... her drool, it's warm."

And that means...

His face lit up with smiles and joy as he realized the greatest thing in the world. "She's alive! Helga! Helga, wake up!" Arnold shouted over and over, shaking Helga's shoulders. "You're alive!"

Helga stirred a little and tried to make out a sentence. "Huh, what? Stop it." Helga murmured, shoving Arnold away.

"Wake up, you're alive, you're alive!"

Her eyes finally opened and her heart skipped a beat as she saw her beloved smiling in front of her. "What are you talking about?" She asked.

"YOU'RE ALIVE!" Arnold shouted at the top of his lungs.

Helga's eyes grew even larger as she shot up from her chair, smiling and laughing while touching her face to see if she was corresponding. "I-I'm alive! I'm alive!" She shouted to the heavens... or ceiling. "And I couldn't be happier." She pulled Arnold's hand and grabbed into a hug, giggling that she made it through.

Arnold buried his face in her neck again and laughed along with her. The girl who was now his new best friend was full of life again. "Oh, I'm so glad you're alive, Helga." He said, surprising her by placing little kisses along her neck and around her face, hugging her tighter. "Don't you **_ever_ **scare me like that _again_, Helga G. Pataki." Arnold half scolded her before bowing his head to lay more kisses on her neck.

Helga's jaw dropped and trembled a little. She couldn't believe it. Her Arnold was kissing her all over her face and neck. She just turned to plain mush as she relished in his soft little kisses against her skin. She gained back her pride a little and smiled. "Sheesh, Football Head. I didn't know you were that pulled into me." She smirked.

Arnold ceased his kisses and stepped calmly away from her, part of him screaming to go back in and kiss the living daylights of her. He rubbed the back of his neck. "S-Sorry, Helga, but I can't help it, I like being affectionate with you." He confessed. "And that I love you, strictly as a friend."

Helga's heart sank a little, knowing that he doesn't feel the same way she does about him. "Oh, well, I love you, too. You know, as a friend." She winked. _'And by love I mean over the moon, loop-de-loop, hook, line and sinker in love with you.'_

Arnold smiled in return. Okay, so she wasn't in love with him, but she does love him and anything could happen.

_'Did he smile at me? Oh, happy day! From this day forward, I, Helga G. Pataki, vow to live life to its fullest!'_

And that she did while sitting on the couch, munching on pork rinds with the TV blasting up loud. Today, she decided to just take it slow, knowing that she wasn't going to die. She received a call from the doctor, explaining to her that the black mark near her bellybutton wasn't her mark of death, but a harmless little birthmark. All that for nothing, well, maybe not completely.

She now had a group of new friends she could depend on and a new guy best friend. Later on tonight, the gang was planning on seeing "**Evil Twin 3: Finn Has A Twin**" together. Arnold even insisted on sitting with her... j-just to make sure she was alright. Helga agreed if she could practice some more cloud paintings with him later on. Maybe then, they could be even closer than they were before.

You know, life can be a fleeting thing. No matter what how bad or beneficial the situation can be, life always finds a way to take your breath away. That's what they really mean by saying life is not to be wasted. You can always seize the day by just being yourself or the ones you truly love like Helga did.

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**To those who have just read this, may the past push you towards the future, bringing you the good presents of today along the way.** **Peace out, man. :)**

**Thanks for reading!**

**The End!**


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